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SUNY Series in Queer Politics and Cultures
Letters to ONE: Gay and Lesbian Voices from the 1950s and 1960s
Long before the Stonewall riots, ONE magazine—the first openly gay magazine in the United States—offered a positive viewpoint of homosexuality and encouraged gay people to resist discrimination and persecution. Despite a limited monthly circulation of only a few thousand, the magazine influenced the substance, character, and tone of the early American gay rights movement. This book is a collection of letters written to the magazine, a small number of which were published in ONE, but most of them were not. The letters candidly explore issues such as police harassment of gay and lesbian communities, antigay job purges, and the philosophical, scientific, and religious meanings of homosexuality.
248 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
September 9, 2012
This book is a fantastic window into gay life in the 1950's and 60's and I highly recommend it.
The letters presented are more positive overall than I thought they would be, as the author mentions in the introduction. Even though being gay was a crime and there was no real collection of homosexuals or support system, many simply resigned themselves to the fact that they were gay and moved on with their lives as best they could. I've always believed there could be nothing wrong or immoral about being gay as, as far as I'm concerned, I woke up that way. It was never anything I did or made a decision about, it simply happened. And how could anything I had no control over be something wrong? Apparently many in the past felt the same way.
The book is divided into sections on different themes which I think is a great idea. I can't imagine how many hundreds or thousands of hours of work went into this, it must truly been a labour of love. First the author had to read all the letters to pick out the ones he wanted to use, then digitize them or in several cases type them out. The author even chose to leave in the original spelling and grammar errors, which would have taken even longer to type. Then go through each letter inserting footnotes for ease of understanding to a modern audience and reference where necessary pertinent issues of the magazine ONE, which probably meant reading every issue. The work is staggering and there's no way the editor could have been fairly compensated for his time. It truly deserves a wide audience.
One thing that struck me was the poor spelling and grammar of several of the letters. In the age before spell check, and possibly the age before standard higher education, the written word suffered. Two of the letters I was not able or willing to read through to the end due to the poor spelling and grammar. Also I will say I really wish this book had been published on Kindle. I can understand after all this work wanting something physical in your hands to show for it, but I have carpal tunnel and I had forgotten how difficult it is for me to hold a book for any length of time. I had to keep taking breaks and it would have been faster, easier, and more enjoyable for me to read this on the Kindle.
Several letters really moved me, my book is full of post-it notes. A few of them:
- The man who was 26 who had never been able to find a partner for sex saying "I tried to satisfy my sexual hunger with illustrations I drew but they were found by my folks and I was reprimanded". At 26!
- The letter referring to other gays as "fellow sufferers"
- The letters asking questions, about the most basic of things.
- The letter from the man in Hamilton, Ontario, near where I live, saying Canadian customs had confiscated the magazine as it was banned. A process that continues with some arbitrariness today.
- The letters from people in jail really moved me, people who were set up or framed or put through hell for being gay. The letters from "Timothy" were the best of the book and could have been a book all their own. I wanted more. Being arrested, fired, your picture on the front page of the paper, sitting in jail, being told you could get 60 years unless you pay thousands of dollars. The government needs to issue a formal apology to people so affected.
Once again, a fabulous, unedited slice of gay life well worth picking up.
The letters presented are more positive overall than I thought they would be, as the author mentions in the introduction. Even though being gay was a crime and there was no real collection of homosexuals or support system, many simply resigned themselves to the fact that they were gay and moved on with their lives as best they could. I've always believed there could be nothing wrong or immoral about being gay as, as far as I'm concerned, I woke up that way. It was never anything I did or made a decision about, it simply happened. And how could anything I had no control over be something wrong? Apparently many in the past felt the same way.
The book is divided into sections on different themes which I think is a great idea. I can't imagine how many hundreds or thousands of hours of work went into this, it must truly been a labour of love. First the author had to read all the letters to pick out the ones he wanted to use, then digitize them or in several cases type them out. The author even chose to leave in the original spelling and grammar errors, which would have taken even longer to type. Then go through each letter inserting footnotes for ease of understanding to a modern audience and reference where necessary pertinent issues of the magazine ONE, which probably meant reading every issue. The work is staggering and there's no way the editor could have been fairly compensated for his time. It truly deserves a wide audience.
One thing that struck me was the poor spelling and grammar of several of the letters. In the age before spell check, and possibly the age before standard higher education, the written word suffered. Two of the letters I was not able or willing to read through to the end due to the poor spelling and grammar. Also I will say I really wish this book had been published on Kindle. I can understand after all this work wanting something physical in your hands to show for it, but I have carpal tunnel and I had forgotten how difficult it is for me to hold a book for any length of time. I had to keep taking breaks and it would have been faster, easier, and more enjoyable for me to read this on the Kindle.
Several letters really moved me, my book is full of post-it notes. A few of them:
- The man who was 26 who had never been able to find a partner for sex saying "I tried to satisfy my sexual hunger with illustrations I drew but they were found by my folks and I was reprimanded". At 26!
- The letter referring to other gays as "fellow sufferers"
- The letters asking questions, about the most basic of things.
- The letter from the man in Hamilton, Ontario, near where I live, saying Canadian customs had confiscated the magazine as it was banned. A process that continues with some arbitrariness today.
- The letters from people in jail really moved me, people who were set up or framed or put through hell for being gay. The letters from "Timothy" were the best of the book and could have been a book all their own. I wanted more. Being arrested, fired, your picture on the front page of the paper, sitting in jail, being told you could get 60 years unless you pay thousands of dollars. The government needs to issue a formal apology to people so affected.
Once again, a fabulous, unedited slice of gay life well worth picking up.
August 17, 2013
This book blew apart my preconceptions of gay life in the decades leading up to Stonewall. The letters encompass a range of attitudes on homosexual issues, from the strident and proud to the measured and scholarly to the loneliness and aching despair of others. They are equally broad in thematic scope - everything from sex, friendship, love, politics, mental health, employment, the media and even prison life is discussed. Although they lack unity in terms of perspective or theme, they are all (bar a few) brimming with a human awareness - sometimes jovial, often stoic - of community, self and social change. If you thought gay life in the fifties was all shadows and self-recrimination, give this a read. It'll change the way you think about 20th century gay history forever.
October 28, 2022
4.5 stars.
First off, shout out to Jerome for the PDF. Really appreciate that!
This is a sobering, multifaceted piece of history -- the complexities of gay life in a time of extreme persecution, the conflicts both externally and internally in gay people at the time, the good, the bad, and the ugly -- its all here as a reminder of what we came from, and what we must absolutely fight so that we may never be forced back into.
However, at times lighthearted with some of the humor and letters, this book shows that even in times of extreme persecution as was the case here, the gay community has never accepted misery and squalor; letters of personal love and revolutionary love, humorous quips, and queer joy appear through these pages. Its fair and accurate to say that gay people suffered back then, but
1. It wasn't all suffering and the implication that it was is simply ahistorical and only adds to the bigotry by suggesting we are a miserable people who need to be "cured" and
B. Queer/trans people still suffer today. Its nowhere near this, but reactionaries and the GOP want it to be that way. Their campaign of terror must be crushed once and for all.
Definitely highly recommend this book.
First off, shout out to Jerome for the PDF. Really appreciate that!
This is a sobering, multifaceted piece of history -- the complexities of gay life in a time of extreme persecution, the conflicts both externally and internally in gay people at the time, the good, the bad, and the ugly -- its all here as a reminder of what we came from, and what we must absolutely fight so that we may never be forced back into.
However, at times lighthearted with some of the humor and letters, this book shows that even in times of extreme persecution as was the case here, the gay community has never accepted misery and squalor; letters of personal love and revolutionary love, humorous quips, and queer joy appear through these pages. Its fair and accurate to say that gay people suffered back then, but
1. It wasn't all suffering and the implication that it was is simply ahistorical and only adds to the bigotry by suggesting we are a miserable people who need to be "cured" and
B. Queer/trans people still suffer today. Its nowhere near this, but reactionaries and the GOP want it to be that way. Their campaign of terror must be crushed once and for all.
Definitely highly recommend this book.
October 28, 2025
I read this for my gay history class and it is a fantastic book! The letters are FULL of personality and I really felt like I was learning just how isolating of a time the 50s and 60s were. Also, there were sooooooo many issues brought up that I still see fought about over on twitter lol
December 1, 2019
A necessary read for every LGBTQ individual. Loftin provides a raw, uncensored depiction of the history of the early days of the gay rights movement in America. This book not only provided me with a deeper appreciation for queer activists that came before me, but also made me proud to be a gay man in 2019.
December 2, 2019
This book was a little difficult for me to read because I couldn’t sit down and read letters for a long period of time. I appreciate it as a resource and think the author did a good job picking letters to publish, it just wasn’t an easy read.
July 4, 2024
digestible in intervals, difficult to appreciate these words with a quick read. bring back the gay magazine! i want to indulge in queer discourse outside of tiktok comments!! always a soft spot for ONE and its archive
June 28, 2022
While not incredibly in-depth, access to letters written during this pre-stonewall time period is valuable.
January 31, 2022
Gotta say, 50s and 60s queers would have loved tiktok and twitter. That's probably my main takeaway. Also something about society still fighting some battles almost 70 years later, but that part's depressing, so, here are some of my favourite quotes:
"Dear Sir: I know you can’t answer my question, but how does one find love? [...] I know I can live without sex, since I have done so all my life, but very few men can live without love, and I am not one of these men." - Greg, 1963
"You see, outwardly I’m a woman, but inside I have a male’s emotions. In fact, at times, I become 2 different people. For awhile I’m a woman, and even act like one then all of a sudden I’m a man. This change doesn’t . . . show on the outside only on the inside. I never know when this change is going to happen, it just does." - Lori, 1964
"I am not one of your subscribers, nor am I a homosexual. I am an elderly married woman. But I am a friend of a number of homosexuals, and so am fairly acquainted with their unique and special interests." - Mrs. E, 1955 [proceeds to explain how many homosexuals she knows are incredibly interested in and involved in the occult]
"I met a young man, a sailor, who came into L.A. on leave. The first time I met him, I knew I was “hooked.” I saw him on all his subsequent leaves and fell deeply in love with him. He was an unusually fine boy and I couldn’t deny what I felt for him. There came a time when his duty in the Navy was finished and he was to return home. I had to make one of the biggest decisions of my life, and I did. I gave up my possessions, my job, my family, my friends, and the sunny climate of California and returned with him to the snow and ice of Ohio. [...] I love him very much and we have grown ever closer. I see his family often and they have become an important part of my life. My young man is adjusting nicely to civilian life and is working hard in a good position. We have a wonderful group of friends here, many of whom are “partners” and have been together for several years. We are young (I am 24, he is 23), but have no fear of the future. There is nothing that cannot be discussed between us. [...] You have given me courage and strength over the years far more than you can ever know." - Trent, 1963
"[...] you’ll never realize what I’ve endured for years. Love—one man for another!" - Peter, 1965
"[...] I for one do not agree that a homosexual can find no solace of thought or ideal drive from Marxism. I find my greatest stimulation for my fellow brother through constantly preaching the merits of homosexuality and Marxism." - Henry, 1960 [Henry is responding to a previous issue of ONE which claimed that Marxism was destructive to "the homosexual"]
"There’s definitely a big place in the world for us if we aren’t afraid. We are what we are just as others are what they are and all have their places." - Helen, 1957
"Let’s not be too damn apologetic for our homosexuality. For myself, this life has enough to recommend it so that I would not wish to exchange it." - Mr. D, 1956
"Our fight, if we must call it that, is indeed for a difficult cause, but laughter is a very potent weapon and has won just as many battles as tears and lamentations ever have." - Miss J., 1959
"Dear Sir: I know you can’t answer my question, but how does one find love? [...] I know I can live without sex, since I have done so all my life, but very few men can live without love, and I am not one of these men." - Greg, 1963
"You see, outwardly I’m a woman, but inside I have a male’s emotions. In fact, at times, I become 2 different people. For awhile I’m a woman, and even act like one then all of a sudden I’m a man. This change doesn’t . . . show on the outside only on the inside. I never know when this change is going to happen, it just does." - Lori, 1964
"I am not one of your subscribers, nor am I a homosexual. I am an elderly married woman. But I am a friend of a number of homosexuals, and so am fairly acquainted with their unique and special interests." - Mrs. E, 1955 [proceeds to explain how many homosexuals she knows are incredibly interested in and involved in the occult]
"I met a young man, a sailor, who came into L.A. on leave. The first time I met him, I knew I was “hooked.” I saw him on all his subsequent leaves and fell deeply in love with him. He was an unusually fine boy and I couldn’t deny what I felt for him. There came a time when his duty in the Navy was finished and he was to return home. I had to make one of the biggest decisions of my life, and I did. I gave up my possessions, my job, my family, my friends, and the sunny climate of California and returned with him to the snow and ice of Ohio. [...] I love him very much and we have grown ever closer. I see his family often and they have become an important part of my life. My young man is adjusting nicely to civilian life and is working hard in a good position. We have a wonderful group of friends here, many of whom are “partners” and have been together for several years. We are young (I am 24, he is 23), but have no fear of the future. There is nothing that cannot be discussed between us. [...] You have given me courage and strength over the years far more than you can ever know." - Trent, 1963
"[...] you’ll never realize what I’ve endured for years. Love—one man for another!" - Peter, 1965
"[...] I for one do not agree that a homosexual can find no solace of thought or ideal drive from Marxism. I find my greatest stimulation for my fellow brother through constantly preaching the merits of homosexuality and Marxism." - Henry, 1960 [Henry is responding to a previous issue of ONE which claimed that Marxism was destructive to "the homosexual"]
"There’s definitely a big place in the world for us if we aren’t afraid. We are what we are just as others are what they are and all have their places." - Helen, 1957
"Let’s not be too damn apologetic for our homosexuality. For myself, this life has enough to recommend it so that I would not wish to exchange it." - Mr. D, 1956
"Our fight, if we must call it that, is indeed for a difficult cause, but laughter is a very potent weapon and has won just as many battles as tears and lamentations ever have." - Miss J., 1959
December 21, 2015
A great history book for class, I don't think I would re-read this for fun, though. The information was very surreal, don't get me wrong, I just think once is enough.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews